Formulation and in vitro Characterization of Donepezil-loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles

Millions of people are affected globally by alzheimer’s disease and it is regarded as a dangerous progressive medical and socio-economic burden. The drug delivery to brain is hindered due to the presence of blood brain barrier. Nanoparticle mediated drug delivery is a promising approach in this regard. Chitosan is a hydrophilic polysaccharide polymer of N-acetylglycosamine and glucosamine. Owing to its biodegradability, nontoxicity and biocompatibility it is regarded as a safe excipient. The aim of the study was to fabricate donepezil-loaded sustained release chitosan nanoparticles as a simple way to deliver nano-drugs to the brain. The nanoparticles were fabricated using ionic gelation method using different concentrations of Sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) and chitosan. The fabricated nanoparticles were assessed for particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency and in vitro drug release. The effect of sonication time on the particle size of nanoparticles was also studied. The nanoparticles exhibited mean particle size (between 135-1487 nm) and zeta potential (between +3.9-+38mV) depending on chitosan and TPP concentration used. The rise in the sonication time from 25 to 125 sec exhibited a decrease in particle size. The encapsulation efficiency was found to be in the range of 39.1-74.4%. Sustained and slow release of donepezil at a constant rate was exhibited from nanoparticles. The nanoparticles show potential to deliver donepezil to brain with enhanced encapsulation efficiency.